Arah
Israelite patriarch of a family that returned from the Babylonian exile
Arah is an Israelite patriarch whose descendants returned from the Babylonian exile to Judah. His family is listed in the returnee registers in Ezra 2:5 with 775 people and in Nehemiah 7:10 with 652 people – a numerical difference that likely reflects different times of registration or counting criteria. In 1 Chronicles 7:39, the name Arah appears as a descendant of Asher through Ulla, but it is uncertain whether this refers to the same patriarch mentioned in the returnee lists. Arah's family is also known through his descendant Shekanja, who according to Nehemiah 6:18 was the father-in-law of Tobiah, an Ammonite leader. This marital alliance between a prominent Israelite clan and a foreign leader created significant political tensions during Nehemiah's rebuilding of Jerusalem and his efforts to establish religious and ethnic boundaries for the Jewish community.
Family
Key events
Descendants of Arah in Ezra's list of returnees
In the list of those who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel, the descendants of Arah are recorded as 775 people.
Descendants of Arah in Nehemiah's list of returnees
In Nehemiah's register of the returnees, the descendants of Arah are listed as 652 people, a differing count likely due to different recording circumstances.
Shekaniah, son of Arah, and the alliance with Tobiah
Shekaniah, a descendant of Arah, was the father-in-law of Tobiah, the Ammonite leader. This marital alliance between an Israelite family and a foreign leader created political complications for Nehemiah's reform work in Jerusalem.
Arah in the Genealogy of Asher
A person named Arah is mentioned as the son of Ulla in the genealogy of the tribe of Asher. It is unclear whether this is the same person as the ancestor listed in the returnee records.
Nehemiah Finds the Genealogy of the Returnees
Nehemiah found the genealogy of those who had first returned from Babylon, and Arah's descendants were among the registered families.